Tobacco lifting machines



Nov. 8, 1966 D. c. STEWART, SR

TOBACCO LIFTING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed OCL. 25, 1965 INVENTOR.

DAVID C.STEWART,SR. B

Nov. 8, 1966 D. c. STEWART, SR 3,283,856

TOBACCO LIFTING MACHINES Filed OGC. 23,- 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

J DAVID C. STEWART, SR.

United States Patent Office 3,283,856 Patented Nov. 8, 1966 3,283,855TOBACC() LIITTING MACHlNES David C. Stewart, Sr., PD. Box 193, Ellerbe,N.C. Filed Get. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 502,960 6 Claims. (ci. la7- 9) Thisinvention relates to new and usefulimprovements in conveyor type lifts,and in particular the invention concerns itself with a lift which may beconveniently and effectively employed for raising sticks of greentobacco to the top of a barn for curing.

Ordinarily three workers are necessary for handling the tobacco sticksin their travel from a `tobacco looper to a barn, but by using the liftof the invention only two workers are needed, one to place the sticks onthe lift conveyor and the other to kremove the sticks `from `theconveyor and hang them in the barn.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the invention to ease,simplify and expedite the tobacco stick lifting procedure so that it canbe carried out with convenience and eiciency and with the employment ofa minimum amount of labor.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a conveyor typelift for tobacco sticks which is not only of a portable nature, butwhich is capable of conversion from an upstanding operative position toa substantially horizontal traveling position, so that it may be easilyand unobtrusively transported `from one site of operation to another.

The lift of the invention is simple in construction, durable, efficientin operation, and adaptable to convenient and economical manufacture.

With the foregoing more important objects and featuresin view and suchother objects and features as may become apparent as this specicationproceeds, the invention will be understood from the followingdescription taken `in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts,and wherein:

FIGURE l is a side elevational View of the portable lift of theinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevational view thereof, taken in the direction ofthe arrow 2 in FIG. l;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevational view, similar to that shown in FIG. 2,but illustrating the lift in its traveling position; and

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal sectional view on a reduced scale, takensubstantially in the plane of the line 4-4 in FIG. 2.

Referring now to the accompanying -drawings in detail, the generalreference numeral 161 designates a portable, conveyor type lift such asmay be used for raising sticks of green tobacco to the top of a barn forcuring. For illustrative purposes, dotted lines in FIGS. l and 2 show astick 11 carrying tied bunches of green tobacco 12.

The lift comprises a base 13 supported by a set of casters, as forexample, by two casters 14 on one side and a third caster 1 4 on therelatively opposite side, so that the base may be readily moved alongthe ground in any desired direction.

The wheeled base 13 carries a lframework designated generally as 15, theframework including a pair of transversely spaced uprights 16 which aresupported by enlarged, substantially triangular frames 17, rigidlysecured to the lower end portions of the uprights. The frames 17 includebottom members 17 which ordinarily rest on the base 13 when the ma-chineis in its operative position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In addition, theframework includes a transversely extending panel 18 which is disposedin an inclined plane and has its opposite side edges secured to theframes 17 at one side of the uprights 15, as is best shown in FIG. l.The panel 18 serves to connect the frames 17 together and also to act asa guiding apron for tobacco, as will be hereinafter explained.

The framework 15 carries an endless conveyor comprising a pair oftransversely spaced endless chains 19 provided with hook-shaped prongs2t) for receiving the tobacco sticks 11. At their upper ends the chains19 pass over sprockets 21 mounted at the upper ends of the uprights 16,while at their lower ends the chains pass around sprockets 22 secured toa transverse shaft 23 which is rotatably journalled in the lower endportions of the uprights. The shaft 23 also carries a relatively largepulley 2d driven by a belt 25 from a relatively small pulley 26 on acountershaft 27 which is suitably journalled in bracket means 2S securedto the base 13, as is best shown in FIGS. 2-4. The countershaft 27, inturn, carries a pulleyA 29 driven by a belt 30 from a pulley 31 on thearmature of an electric motor 32, or some other prime mover, which issuitably mounted on the base 13, as will be apparent.

When the motor 32 is energized, the driving: belts 30, 25 will impartrotation to the shaft 23 to propel the conveyor chains 19 in thedirection of the arrow 33, so that tobacco lsticks 11 placed by a workeron the prongs 20 at the lower end portion of the conveyor are conveyedto the top, where they may be conveniently removed from the conveyor byanother worker and placed in a barn for curing, this operationcontinuing in an endless manner without the necessity of intermittentlystopping the conveyor. It will be observed that the aforementionedinclined panel 13 of the framework 15 is disposed at the lower end ofthe loaded side of the conveyor where it effectively covers the conveyordriving mechanism at that side and serves as a guiding apron to preventthe tobacco leaves 12 from becoming entangled with the drive mecha nismwhen the tobacco `sticks are loaded onto the conveyor.

As already stated, the bottom members 17 tof the frames 17 rest on thebase 13, but the framework 15 as a whole is connected to the base by asingle arm 34 which has its upper end rigidly secured to the lower endportion of one of the uprights 15 and has its lower end pivoted orhinged as at 35 to one side of the base 13. As a result, the entireframework 15 together with the conveyor which it carries, may be swungabout the pivot means 35 from the upstanding, operative position shownin FIGS. 1 and 2 to a substantially horizontal traveling position at oneside of the base 13, as shown in FIG. 3, so that the entire machine maybe conveniently and unobt-rusively transported from one site ofoperation to another. In this respect it may be noted that the verticalextent or high-t of the uprights 16 (and of the associated conveyor) maybe considerable in order to reach the top of the barn, so that swingingof the framework to a substantially horizontal position has definiteadvantages in transporting the machine from one location to another.

The conveyor drive mechanism is particularly adapted to permit foldingof the framework 15 from its operative to its traveling position undercircumstances where one part of the drive, namely, the driving pulley26, is mounted on the base 13, while another part of the drive, namely,the driven pulley 24, is carried by the swingable framework 15. Thisfolding of the framework is permitted by simply removing the drive belt25 from the pulleys 24, 26, whereupon the framework may be swung to itstraveling position as shown in FIG. 3. In so doing, the driving belt 25may be si-mply disengaged from the pulley 24 and permitted to remainaround the shaft 23, so that it is readily available for placement onthe pulleys 24, 25 when the framework is subsequently raised to itsoperative position, as will be apparent from FIG. 3.

While in the foregoing there has been described and shown the preferredembodiment of the invention, various modifications and equivalents maybecome apparent to those skilled in the art to which the inventionrelates. Accordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to thisdisclosure, and various modifications and equivalents may be resortedto, falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A portable lift for tobacco sticks, comprising in combination, awheeled base, an upstanding framework provided on said base, an endlessconveyor supported by said framework, means for driving said conveyor,and means hingedly connecting said framework to said base for swingingmovement of the framework between an upstanding operative position and asubstantially horizontally extending traveling position at one side ofsaid base, said framework including a pair of transversely spaceduprights, enlarged frames provided at `the lower ends of said uprights,and ltransversely extending means connecting said frames together, saidmeans hingedly connecting said framework to said base comprising an armpivotally attached at one end thereof to said base and secured at itsother end to one of said uprights, said enlarged frames resting on saidbase when the framework is in its operative position.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said transversely extendingmeans of said framework comprises an inclined panel secured at itsopposite side edges to said enlarged frames of the framework, said panelprotective- 1y overlying at least a portion of said conveyor drivingmeans and constituting a guiding apron for tobacco placed on theconveyor.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said conveyor includes apair of transversely spaced endless chains supported by the respectiveuprights of said framework, tobacco stick engaging prongs carried bysaid chains, a transverse shaft journalled in lower end portions of saiduprights, and sprockets provided on said transverse shaft, saidsprockets `operatively engaging said chains.

4. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said conveyor includes apair of transversely spaced endless chains supported by the respectiveuprights of said framework, tobacco stick engaging prongs carried bysaid chains, a transverse shaft journalled in lower end portions of saiduprigits, and sprockets provided on said transverse shaft andoperatively engaging said chains, said means for driving said conveyorincluding a driving pulley mounted on said base, a driven pulley securedto said transverse shaft, and a belt operatively connecting said drivingand driven pulleys, said belt being removable from said pulleys t0permit swinging of said framework from its operative position to itstraveling position.

5. The device as defined in claim 4 wherein said conveyor driving meansalso includes a motor mounted on said base, and means operativelyconnecting said motor to said driving pulley.

6. In a portable lift for tobacco sticks, the combination of a Wheeledbase, an upstanding framework provided on said base and including a pairof transversely spaced uprights, enlarged frames provided at the lowerends of said uprights, and transversely extending means connecting saidframes together, .an endless conveyor supported by said framework, andmeans hingedly connecting said framework to one side of said base forswinging movement of the framework between an upstanding operativeposition wherein said enlarged frames of the framework rest on saidbase, and a substantially horizontally extending traveling positionwherein the framework is disposed at said one side of the base.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 835,312 11/1906McNabb 189-163 925,585 6/1909 Lewis 214-515 1,862,192 6/1932 Michaux214-55 3,209,932 10/1965 Schiltz 214-8336 EVON C. BLUNK, PrimaryExaminer.

H. C. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner.

1. A PORTABLE LIFT FOR TOBACCO STICKS, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, AWHEELED BASE, AN UPSTANDING FRAMEWORK PROVIDED ON SAID BASE, AN ENDLESSCONVEYOR SUPPORTED BY SAID FRAMEWORK, MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID CONVEYOR,AND MEANS HINGEDLY CONNECTED SAID FRAMEWORK TO SAID BASE FOR SWINGINGMOVEMENT OF THE FRAMEWORK BETWEEN AN UPSTANDING OPERATIVE POSITION AND ASUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING TRAVELING POSITION AT ONE SIDE OFSAID BASE, SAID FRAMEWORK INCLUDING A PAIR OF TRANSVERSELY SPACEDUPRIGHTS, ENLARGED FRAMES PROVIDED AT THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID UPRIGHTS,AND TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING MEANS CONNECTING SAID FRAMES TOGETHER, SAIDMEANS HINGEDLY CONNECTING SAID FRAMEWORK TO SAID BASE COMPRISING AN ARMPIVOTALLY ATTACHED AT ONE END THEREOF TO SAID BASE AND SECURED AT ITSOTHER END TO ONE OF SAID UPRIGHTS, SAID ENLARGED FRAMES RESTING ON SAIDBASE WHEN THE FRAMEWORK IS IN ITS OPERATIVE POSITION.